The joint bid between Detroit and Windsor to bring WrestleMania 32 to Ford Field in 2016 has been turned down, said Dave Beachnau, Detroit Sports Commission executive director.

Despite many rumours circulating Friday in social media stating Detroit as the front runner to host the professional wresting pay-per-view event, they didn’t make the short list.

“We were notified back in June,” Beachnau said, who wants to put the gossip to rest. “There is no truth to it. I don’t know where people are getting this information.”

There were many blogs and tweets stating Detroit was among the final three, with Orlando, Florida and Dallas, Texas. Reportedly, the WWE is expected to make its decision at the end of the month and an announcement is expected to be made in early 2014.

“We haven’t heard from them since,” Beachnau said, after talking to them in June. “If we are back on that list, they haven’t told me.”

According to Beachnau, the WWE’s decision process is very confidential and they haven’t publicly announced the WrestleMania 32 short list.

“That probably stirs up rumours,” he said.

The city of Windsor united with Detroit, agreeing to put up $60,000 in taxpayer money to help get WrestleMania to the area.

The decision wasn’t unanimous in city council. Ward 4 Coun. Alan Halberstatdt rallied against the decision to bring the event to the region.

“Why did these councillors not suggest to the multi-billionaire WrestleMania owners that they need to make a better effort of drawing out other private and public sources for their events rather than coming to Windsor’s city council, getting financial support and creating a precedent?” Halberstatdt said on his blog.

“Why is it that some homegrown person seeking a little city assistance for an event, on home soil, that has documented success, is given the bum’s rush, yet people whose events do not need our financial support are given the royal treatment?”

Halberstatdt broke down monies on his blog which states the $60,000.00 for WrestleMania in 2015, along with the $280,000.00 for Grand Prix 2013 through 2015, would equal approximately $1.62 for every man, woman and child in Windsor. Those numbers are based on a population of 210,000, with no metrics to show any net benefit other than the “world stage” argument.

Halberstatdt compared those numbers to the Via Italia Race sponsorships, stating $5,000 for fencing would approximately equal $0.023 for every man, woman and child in Windsor, based on population of 210,000.

“Here, local businesses can well attest to a positive net economic impact,” he said on his page. “The Via Italia Race draws 7,000 spectators and some 200 cyclists from across Ontario and several American states.”

Beachnau said an event this size drives tourism and appeals to both sides of the border.

“We have a unique destination that attracts many international events,” Beachnau said.

Windsor and Detroit partnered during the previously WresteMania 23 at Ford Field on April 1, 2007. The event attracted visitors to both sides of the border. Many hotels in Windsor were offering accommodations for the weekend including tickets to the event. Windsor lured wrestling fans to the city by holding events and promotions in the week leading up to Wrestlemania. They did the same thing during Super Bowl in Detroit in 2006.

WrestleMania III was also held at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, breaking an indoor attendance record with 93,173 and became the largest paying attendance in the history of professional wrestling at that time. The sold-out event, rejecting pay-per-view coverage, featured defending WWF champion Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant.

Beachnau said he will continue to work in unison with Windsor in bringing big events to the region.

“We partnered with the city of Detroit in the past,” said Windsor mayor Eddie Francis. “When the opportunity came up for WrestleMania 32, they contacted me asking for support and I said ‘yes.’”

WrestleMania 31 is also hitting social media by storm. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers, and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, are rumoured as two front-runners.

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The Jesus flag is not welcome at city hall. Councillors agreed Monday night with a report from city administration to deny a request to fly a flag in support of the annual March for Jesus scheduled for Aug. 22.